British Columbia gears up for annual Road Safety at Work Week

The theme will be ‘Employer Responsibility’ to help employers in BC better understand their responsibilities to employees who drive for work.

Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of traumatic workplace deaths in BC.

Twenty-four workers a year on average are killed and another 1,300 are injured due to motor vehicle crashes while driving for work.

In Canada, requirements pertaining to workplace road safety are contained in provincial and federal Acts and Regulations. They identify the legal obligations of owners, employers, supervisors and drivers applicable to work-related driving.

Employers have the same duty to ensure the safety of employees when they are behind the wheel as when they are in the office, on the shop floor or on a construction site. Employers are also responsible for employee safety whether the employee drives a company vehicle or their personal vehicle for work purposes.

Road Safety at Work has developed an online course, Know Your Responsibilities, to provide employers with practical knowledge of relevant statutes, how they can satisfy requirements, and where they can access resources to help build and implement necessary measures and actions.

There are also quizzes, guides for running tailgate meetings and information sheets to distribute to employees available at roadsafetyatwork.ca

Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour, Shirley Bond, said: “Being in the workplace means being on the road for some British Columbians, so it is very important that employers in our province are aware of their responsibilities to their employees. I encourage employers to check out the many safety resources available to help them ensure that every worker gets home to their families safely at the end of the work day.”

Road Safety at Work Week is an annual event that provides an opportunity for BC workplaces to increase awareness about work-related road safety.

Road Safety at Work Week is an initiative of WorkSafeBC, the Justice Institute of BC and a steering committee of road safety and occupational health and safety professionals from around BC representing various industries.